By now you've seen the headlines: 'The Lorax comfortably outperformedJohn Carter during its opening weekend.' Or 'John Carter will be hardpressed to break even.' But moviegoers need to take whatever they've read in stride. Decide on your own whether or not to support the first major sci-fi offering of the year. Here are three factors in favor of sampling John Carter firsthand:

The writers

Andrew Stanton and Michael Chabon will excite anyone willing to visit the film's IMDB page. Chabon is easier to recognize. He's a novelist with a fiction background, responsible for the landmark modern title The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. (It's a Pulitzer-winner about two Jewish cousins navigating life during WWII, entering the nascent comics industry, and struggling with issues of self-identity). Stanton should inspire as much if not more confidence.

John Carter marks Stanton's debut as a writer for live action film. His previous work engagement? One of the go-to scribes at Pixar. He's had a hand in all of the Toy Story films, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, and Monsters, Inc. Whether or not you believe in Stanton's capabilities as a director, that resume showcases an ability to tell engaging, moving stories that appeal to a variety of ages. If there's one characteristic for successful sci-fi (see original Star Wars trilogy), that may be it.

The franchise

Long before Mars Needs Moms spoiled the Red Planet for all of us, John Carter was blazing sci-fi trails. The character dates back to 1912, debuting in the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs before transitioning to comics and now film. The film's introductory trailer sums up its place in the genre nicely: "John Carter had to be there in order for Star Wars to happen, for Avatar to happen."

This is a story 100 years in the making—literally. The technology needed to bring this world to life in a just manner wasn't available until recently. Major genre writers and filmmakers alike aspired to adapt the John Carter universe, including George R.R. Martin and Robert Rodriguez, so the franchise represents hallowed ground.

The spectacle

As Hugopainfully reminded us, movies are the lone place to see visualizations of dreams to the fullest extent. It's the perfect medium for Barsoomians and John Carter's immortal abilities to come alive. (Did you see the White Ape extended preview?).

Disney put $250 million into the film—and not all of it was spent on Taylor Kitsch's chiseled abs. The predictable storyline of Avatar didn't detract from its amazing visual effects. So even if Kitsch won't inspire Oscar voters or if Stanton is better served writing movies for the kids in all of us, the John Carter experience on a big screen is something not even the nicest HDTV and sound system can recreate.